Europa League Final 2016 Betting Preview

Liverpool take on Sevilla for Europa League glory in Switzerland on Wednesday night, with the cramped confines of FC Basel’s St Jakob-Park bound to be rocking when the action gets underway at 8:45pm local time. The game is a golden opportunity for Reds boss Jürgen Klopp to bring silverware back to Anfield within his first season at the club, but the Spanish side will have something to say about that, having won the trophy in both of the last two seasons.

Form

Liverpool won just one of their final five Premier League games, drawing three and losing one, and they have made hard work of their Europa League fixtures too. However, their 3-0 victory in the second leg of the semi-final against Villarreal showed great strength of character to reverse the 1-0 away defeat in the previous tie.

Sevilla have shipped eight goals in their last three La Liga games, losing each one. A decent display in the Europa League semi-finals against Shaktar Donetsk followed a tight victory on penalties over compatriots Athletic Bilbao in the previous round, but this is a side that knows how to win Europa League finals and are hoping to notch up a historic third success in a row.

Sports.net’s view

Liverpool have been the Jekyll and Hyde of the Premier League this year and you can never guarantee which side of their character they will show in the big games. That does mean that expectations are lowered amongst supporters, relieving some of the pressure of being posted as favourites for the win by the bookies. Sevilla, on the other hand, know that they will make history with a victory and that they also face another huge game just three days later when they take on Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final. These factors could prove enough of a distraction to the holders for the Merseyside club to shade it on the night.

The match could come down to which of the impressive strikers on display makes the most of what are likely to be rare chances on a cagey night. Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge has one last chance to show what he can do for his club before he meets up with Roy Hodgson’s provisional England Euro 2016 squad, and teammate Divock Origi has been passed fit and will be itching to get back into the thick of the action. For Sevilla, Frenchman Kevin Gameiro has been on outstanding form in all competitions this term and can’t be discounted.

Sports.net’s top tip: Sturridge to score and Liverpool to win - 3/1 at Ladbrokes.

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